BURKINA-FASO TRAILS: 8 DAYS-7 NIGHTS

Arrive in Ouagadougou. Meet, assist and tranfer to Hotel Splendide or similar. Overnight.

Day 2: Ouagadougou-Tiebele-Nazinga Ranch

Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Tiebele renowned for its unique architecture and the well-preserved traditional houses of the. View their unique painted house and painting process. Dwellings are either square (for married couples) or round (for bachelors) and all elaborately decorated: black diamond patterns cover large areas of the reddish-brown walls. Drawings of snakes and crocodiles, both sacred animals, bestow protection. Stroll around the open-air market under the shade of the acacias and mango trees. The vendors are nearly all women, clad in colorful wraparound cloths. From the base of a small hill overlooking the flat, sun-baked earth of the West African savannah, Tiebele royal palace lies within circular, walled confines measuring roughly 1.2 hectares. Resplendent designs in black and white embellish the earthen architecture of Tiebele and reflect the building traditions of the Kassena people, one of the oldest ethnic groups in Burkina Faso, who first settled the region in the fifteenth century. Proceed then to Nazinga ranch. Overnight at Campement de Nazinga. B/D

Day 3: Nazinga-Diébougou

Breakfast and explore the ranch, habitat of West African savannah elephants, kobus, cynocephalus, warthogs, buffaloes and birds. Proceed to Diebougou in the south-west heart of This part of Burkina Faso can be seen as living relics of ancestral Africa through its rites and customs where man is in perfect harmony with his environment. Arrive at Diebougou; check in at Auberge Depagou. Dinner and overnight. B/D

Day 4: Diebougou-Gaoua

Breakfast. Visit a cave dating from the French colonial era and proceed to Dolo, a village that has conserved its traditions over the time. Courtesy to the chief and encounter with a traditional healer in his sanctuary. Continue to Gaoua, centre to the Lobi culture. The Lobi are believed to have settled in the region from neighboring Ghana in 1700s. It is a profoundly animistic tribe living in large rectangular or polygonal compounds known as soukala. Lobi villages are spread out and often intermingle with one another. It is often difficult to distinguish one from another geographically. Yet, due to village affiliation with an individual thil (“supernatural spirit”), it is possible to define community boundaries. The thil, who is recognized as the head of the community, expresses prohibitions through a religious diviner, which must be obeyed by the village inhabitants. Each village is independent, and the prohibitions enforced in one area may be completely ignored in the next. On arrival, we visit the Poni museum portraying this rich Lobi culture. Overnight at Hotel Hala. B/D

Day 5: Gaoua-Banfora

Breakfast at hotel and road to Banfora. Visit Gan kings’ sanctuaries and Loropeni ruins which are the best-preserved remains of the larger Lobi Ruins. Due to their local spiritual importance, the community has maintained the site over time. Arrive in Banfora; check-in at Hotel Canne à Sucre or similar. In the afternoon, take a refreshing to tour Karfiguela falls. Swimming in the natural pool possible. Dinner and overnight. B/D

Day 6: Banfora-Bobo Dioulasso

Breakfast at hotel and proceed to Sindou . It is incredible rocky chains that have formed due to sandstorms; a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A walk in this magical atmosphere is worth taking. Road to Bobo Dioulasso, the first capital city of Burkina Faso. Stop at Fabedougou domes. Arrive in Bobo Dioulasso. Check in at Hotel Auberge or similar. Overnight. B/D

Day 7: Bobo Dioulasso-Ouagadougou

Breakfast at hotel and embark on a city tour of Bobo Dioulasso visiting the old city with the mosque with a Sudanese architecture as a highlight. Continue to Ouagadougou. En route, visit Bazoule sacred crocodiles’ pond. Check-in at Hotel Splendid or similar. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight. B/D

Day 8: Ouagadougou-Depart

Breakfast at hotel. Embark on a tour of the city visiting the UN runabout, Naba Kom memorial, moviemakers’ square, the railroad battle runabout, brass-makers’ quarter; the museum of music and the prolific Artisans’ village. Return to your hotel. Check-out is at 13.00. In the evening, transfer to airport for your departure flight. B